MORE REASONS WHY
CENSUS IS IMPORTANT by Precinct 4 Commissioner Dianne Edmondson
16 COUNTY OFFICE HOLDERS DISTRICTS CHANGE Other boundaries also will change within the county. Not our county-wide office holders, of course, but our districted ones including our four County Commissioners, and our six Constables, and Justices of the Peace. Those lines will be determined by the Commissioners Court, again based on the 2020 census numbers for each of those districts (also known as Precincts for Commissioners, Constables, and Justices of the Peace.) All these population-based changes are compliant with the American principle of one person, one vote. CENSUS CRITICAL IN MANY WAYS
A
s you know, last month we discussed the financial ramifications of the upcoming census. We learned that for even just a 1% undercount, Denton County would lose more than a million dollars a year in federal and state funds for roads, bridges, and schools in our county. Obviously, an undercount should definitely be avoided. MORE CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS FOR TEXAS?
Additionally, accurate governmental
representation for Denton County citizens depends upon an accurate census count. The national House of Representatives consists of 435 members, equally
divided among the 50 states, based on population, with Texas having 36
those new Congressional members from Texas most likely will have strengthening our state’s influence in Washington, D.C. However, a recent Reuters study reveals that the large metropolitan areas are
trending more liberal, while the more rural areas remain more conservative, so our
new Members of Congress may or may
not think like traditional Texans.
members of Congress. As the Lone Star state – particularly North Texas – continues to attract people from
other states to our lowtax, low cost-of-living
area, other states lose
population. Experts predict
that Texas will pick up three
ANOTHER STATE REP. FOR
That re-balancing of the Congress will result in the Texas values... will have strengthening our state’s influence in Washington, D.C.
to four of those Congressional
DENTON COUNTY? Denton County
is currently split
between two state
Senators (Nelson and
Fallon) and among four
state Representatives
(Stucky, Parker, Patterson,
seats, most likely causing California and
and Beckley) and we may get another
living states – to lose seats in the House of
re-districting process. The resulting new
Congress will result in the Texas values
the March, 2022 primary elections.
New York – both high-tax, high cost-of-
state Representative seat during that
Representatives. That re-balancing of the
district lines should be drawn in time for
58 | LANTANA LIVING
So, as you can see, there are many ramifications from the 2020 census and it’s very important for all of us --- citizens or not, adults or children --- to be counted. Your census form should arrive before April 1 and you can fill it out immediately either by hand or online. If you don’t have access to a computer, some will be set up in various county buildings, such as our courthouses, to allow census-only access for Denton County residents. Please do your part to be sure we have an accurate census count --- so very much depends upon that! Thanks!
| March 2020
To receive a newsletter, please contact Precinct 4 Commissioner Dianne Edmondson at Dianne.Edmondson@dentoncounty.com and ask to be placed on the email list. OR CALL AT 972.434.3960. photo courtesy by Commissioner Dianne Edmondson
www.LantanaLiving.com
